Where can I find good recipes for the belly way diet?
The diet is based on the book “Flat belly diet!” by Liz Vaccariello and is available in bookshops. In the meantime, the author herself has published further cookbooks on the diet. In addition, there are already various websites where you can find recipes, creative variations of the original recipes and nutritional plans in the sense of the belly away diet, some of which are free and some of which require payment. Since the recipes often refer to recipes of the Mediterranean diet, they can be used as such as sources of cooking inspiration.
How much can I lose weight with this diet?
The authors state that you can lose 15 pounds in 4 weeks. But how much you actually lose depends on your own initial situation. It is questionable whether 15 pounds for a month is a feasible goal.
Irrespective of this, it is not advisable to lose weight too quickly. The recommendation of the German Obesity Society is that with a BMI of 25-35 kg/m2 one should aim for a weight reduction of 5% in 6 months. Recommended for this 10% weight reduction in 6 months. If there are certain accompanying or previous illnesses, the goals should also be set individually and under professional guidance.
How can I prevent the yoyo effect with this diet?
Since the diet focuses on a short-term strong weight reduction with no individually adapted energy restriction, it is predisposed to lead to a yoyo effect. This could be prevented by modifying the diet a little. On the one hand it is sensible and important to supplement the diet with physical activity.
On the other hand, it makes sense to adjust the amount of calories consumed to the basal metabolic rate. A moderate energy deficit is recommended, i.e. the difference between your own basic requirement of 500 kcal for weight reduction. The personal basic requirement can be calculated with various online calculators or manually with the Harris Benedict formula.
For women it is: 655 + (9.6 * weight in kg) + (1.8 * height in cm) – (4.7* age in years), for men it is: 66 + (13.7 * weight in kg) + (5 * height in cm) – (6.8 * age in years). Basic personal needs can be calculated with various online calculators or by hand using the Harris Benedict formula. For women it is: 655 + (9.6 * weight in kg) + (1.8 * height in cm) – (4.7 * age in years), for men it is: 66 + (13.7 * weight in kg) + (5 * height in cm) – (6.8 * age in years).
Medical evaluation of the diet
The abdominal-displacement diet is medically controversial. One of the main messages is the positive effect of monounsaturated fatty acids on the body. In a guideline on fat and influence on health, German society summarizes that the intake of monounsaturated fatty acids, as recommended by the diet, probably has no influence on the risk of stroke, diabetes, high blood pressure or even cancer.
However, in exchange for carbohydrates, they do lower blood lipid levels and shift the cholesterol ratio towards “healthy” HDL cholesterol. Many of the recipes are derived from recipes of the Mediterranean diet, which has been proven to have a positive effect on chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases. This is also recommended by the German Obesity Society for weight reduction and stabilization. However, the targeted energy deficit should be around 500 kcal and a calorie limit should not be set across the board regardless of the initial situation. Since the diet does not rely on physical exercise or other strategies for long-term weight stabilisation (such as measures to change everyday habits or to deal with stress), its suitability as a long-term method of weight reduction should be questioned.
